Austin R. Anderson

Heterosexism in Campus Recreational Club Sports: An Exploratory Investigation Into Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbians

This study investigated attitudes toward gay men and lesbians among recreational club sport participants, including an investigation of differences in attitudes across sport clubs, team and individual sports, gender, and contact with gay men and lesbians. This study used a modified version of the Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale administered online to acquire overall attitudinal scores of participants, as well as two parallel subscale scores. Utilizing MANOVA and ANOVA statistical testing procedures, significant differences (p < .01) in attitudes toward gay men and lesbians were found based on gender, contact with gay men and lesbians, and among different recreational club sports. Significant statistical differences (p < .01) between attitudinal subscale scores were also found across demographic levels.

Beliefs about using an outdoor pool: understanding perceptions of place in the context of a recreational environment to improve health.

Following the Reasoned Action Approach, an online survey of 74 outdoor pool users illustrates how a theory-based behavioral analysis can be used to identify peoples perceptions of a place in their environment. Regression analysis of close-ended data demonstrated that intention to use the outdoor pool next summer season was predicted (R(2)=.636, p<.0001) from the weighted combination of attitude (β=.663, p<.0001) and perceived control (β=.197, p<.05). The importance of attitude suggests that use can be encouraged by addressing advantages. The content analysis of open-ended elicitation data revealed that users believed that pool use provides physical, social, and emotional advantages and could be made easier by modifying facility parameters. Implications for promoting and designing public health spaces to attract users to aquatic environments and to improve health are discussed.

Recreational Sport Participant Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men: An Exploratory Study of Participation, Religion, Socioeconomic Status, and Sexual Identity

This exploratory study investigated attitudes toward gay men and lesbians among the general student population of a midsized university, paying special attention to differences in demographic measures and attitudes across campus recreational sport participants and nonparticipants. Specifically, the study sought to investigate differences in attitudes toward gay men and lesbians among the following groups: campus recreational sporting participants/nonparticipants, differing religious affiliations, socioeconomic status classifications, and participant self-identified sexual orientation. This study used a modified version of the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale administered in person to acquire attitudinal scores and demographics of respondents. Multivariate analysis of variance statistical testing procedures were used, revealing significant differences in attitudes of campus recreational sport participants based on religion, and sexual orientation. Overall, participants who identified as Evangelical Christian held more negative attitudes toward nonnormative sexualities than Roman Catholic or nonreligious participants, and participants who identified as heterosexual held more negative attitudes than gay or lesbian participants.

Motivational Differences of Swimming Participants in the Campus Environment

The purpose of this study was to assess motives of swimming participants within the university campus environment and to examine whether differences in swimmers gender, age, affiliation status within the university, frequency of participation, and classification varied in their participation objectives. One hundred and ninety-two swimmers at a Midwestern university completed a motivation questionnaire designed to assess 35 objectives for participation. Participants self-identified as a member of one of three teams (varsity, recreational club sport, or masters) or as an informal swimming participant. Descriptive statistics and univariate statistical techniques where used in the analysis of the data. Many differences in participation motives were evident from the analysis of independent variables. Results of the study were examined using tenants of the athlete situation interaction model of motivation. Translational outcomes discovered and outlined from the research include implications for coaches and administrators at all levels within the university setting.

Collegiate Club Swimming: An Examination of Leisure Motivations

The purpose of this study was to determine leisure motivations for college club swimmers in the United States, and to examine differences in motivation by swimmers gender, university affiliation, ethnicity, and frequency of participation. College club swimmers from a nationwide sample completed the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS) to assess the strength and differences of varying motivational factors for club swimming participation. Results indicated that social and competency-mastery motivational factors were the most important for this participatory group, and that motivational differences existed based upon respondent university affiliation, ethnicity (White/non-White) and frequency of participation.

Practice Makes Perfect: Student Employee Transferable Skill Utilization in Campus Recreation

Student employment is a vital aspect of development for many college students during their matriculation. This exploratory study examined the self-reported utilization of desirable transferable skills by student employees in a variety of campus recreation settings. A survey of 417 campus recreation student employees was conducted, asking how often different transferable skills were utilized within the course of their employment. While it is recognized that no one environment may be able to provide for all transferable skills, analyses were undertaken with regard to the skills that were reported to be the least utilized (writing and computer skills) in an effort to understand what recreational environments better allow for the ongoing development of these skills and to identify areas of improvement for student employees in campus recreation with regard to transferable skill development.

Social motivation and health in college club swimming

ABSTRACT Objective: Participation in recreational sport clubs on campus is a popular student activity nationwide. These sport-based organizations provide a host of benefits within recognized dimensions of health and wellness. Understanding participants’ motives for engaging in these types of activities can provide insight in design and delivery and enhance participant health. This study focuses on outcomes related to the social motivations for participation in a recreational sport swim club and their potential relationship to social health. Participants: Current members of recreational swimming clubs were contacted for participation in the study from March-April 2016. Methods: A Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS) survey was sent electronically to 196 collegiate swim clubs nationwide. Aggregate and multivariate analyses from 1011 responses were conducted to examine the social motivation and motivational differences of participants. Results: Social motivations emerged as the predominate motivational construct, indicating important implications for social health improvement through participation. Demographically, results indicated no statistically significant differences in social motivation factors based on participant gender, and statistically significant differences within participant race, university affiliation and practice frequency. Conclusions: Impacts of these findings are important for practitioners and participants when evaluating the potential these programs have to influence participant social health.